Rafa Faces Fernando In Monte Carlo Final
Photos: © Henk Abbink
Davis Cup teammates armed with ferocious forehands and disparate Masters final experience will duel for the Monte Carlo Masters championship in Sunday’s all-Spanish final.
Reigning champion Rafael Nadal will play for his Open Era-record sixth straight Monte Carlo crown when he squares off against Fernando Verdasco, who defeated an erratic Novak Djokovic, 6-2, 6-2, to reach his first career Masters 1000 final.
The second-seeded Nadal racked up his 31st consecutive victory in the Principality in pounding out a 6-2, 6-3 victory over 11th-seeded compatriot David Ferrer.
The four-time French Open champion is bidding for his first tournament title since he beat Djokovic to win Rome last May — a streak of 13 tournaments without a major.
Nadal, who broke serve six times in wrapping up the 75-minute win, has not surrendered a set, dropping just 13 games in tournament victories over Dutch qualifier Thiemmo de Bakker, German left hander Michael Berrer, 2002-2003 champion Juan Carlos Ferrero and Ferrer.
Ferrer got off to a promising start in holding at love and earning break point in the second game. At that point, Nadal turned up the force and depth of his drives and rapidly outdistanced the first-time semifinalist in reeling off five consecutive games for a commanding 5-1 lead.
The 17th-ranked Spaniard stopped the bleeding with a love hold but could not close the wound as Nadal claimed the first set when Ferrer sent a backhand beyond the baseline.
Ferrer broke back for 2-all in the second set, but that temporary equity only brought out more intensity in Nadal, who strung together four consecutive games to reach the final again.
A year ago, Djokovic lost to Nadal in the final.
The top-seeded Serbian played one of his best matches in months in sweeping David Nalbandian in Friday’s quarterfinals. Djokovic was a shadow of himself today and Verdasco, who has a tendency to tighten up against top players, took full advantage.
The Djokovic serve, once a weapon, has degenerated into a suspect shot. Djokovic missed eight consecutive first serves in a 13-minute third game of the second set before finally surrendering serve.
Verdasco cruised through the opening set and immediately pressured Djokovic’s serve in the first game of the second set. Djokovic hung tough in breaking back for 2-all, but his serving indecision infiltrated the rest of his game and he started slapping his forehand into the net.
The fifth game was a brutal one for Djokovic, who hit a double fault, netted a forehand and missed a backhand down the line to face double break point. Verdasco stepped up to the baseline and curled a crosscourt forehand winner that left Djokovic staring blankly at the ball mark as Verdasco broke for 3-2 and never looked back.
Topics: Backhand, Break Point, Compatriot, Consecutive Games, Consecutive Victory, David Ferrer, David Nalbandian, De Bakker, Fernando Verdasco, Final Experience, French Open Champion, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Left Hander, Michael Berrer, Monte Carlo Masters, Novak Djokovic, Principality, Rafael Nadal, Second Game, Tournament Victories
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